In the opening scene, a voiceover from a local television newscast drops us into a story already in motion: “Police issued an amber alert for an 8 year old boy. He was abducted from his home near El Dorado, Texas…”It’s a small, necessary scrap of exposition. For the rest of the film, we’re kept guessing as to who (and what) the boy is, and why he’s been abducted. But it’s this not knowing that kept the rapt attention of Berlinale audiences, during this week’s premiere of writer-director Jeff Nichols’ sci-fi drama “Midnight Special.”“I made a rule: no character will explain something the other characters already know. I found removing information and exposition made the film better,” said Jeff Nichols during a post-screening press conference.This bare-bones approach works well, evidenced by the fact that Nichols’ next movie “Loving” has already been bought by Focus Features. The question buzzing on Berlin’s lips now is whether this flick will win a Golden Bear, the film festival’s highest honor. For that, Nichols is leaning heavily on his actors, admitting that this script wouldn’t work unless the blank holes could be filled in with strong, nuanced performances.Peak PerformanceThis is where actor Michael Shannon, a weathered Kentucky native, enters the picture. He has appeared in every one of Nichols’ films, all set on the back roads of America.In “Midnight Special,” Shannon commands close-up after close-up, which serve to highlight his emotional specificity. His character Roy Tomlin carries the film, as he fights doggedly to save his 8-year old son Alton, played by Jaeden Lieberher. Fatherhood, and the drama that comes with it, is the central theme of the film. “My son was a year old when he had a seizure. It was a very scary moment for my wife and I. I thought, in this moment anything can happen to him. And I had no control over it. I made a film about this fear," Nichols said, during the press conference. Apart from this personal exploration, the film also canvases weighty political issues in American life. The FBI, NSA (National Security Agency), and a cultish religious sect act as a kind of modern day Greek chorus, each recounting the story by their pursuit of Alton.The Big PictureAt the beginning of the film, we learn that Roy has taken Alton from “the Ranch,” a religious sect in Texas led by Calvin Meyer (Sam Shepard). In a telling scene, Calvin preaches to a congregation of prairie folk dressed in hand-sewn garb with Amish-style hairdos. They repeat Calvin’s words robotically, in unison. And they freely tote guns – an obvious reference to the country’s deep-seated relationship with the 2nd amendment.It is unclear which group Nichols’ is referencing with the Ranch, but their depiction strongly conjures images of Utah Mormons and the Branch Davidians just outside Waco, Texas (not far from where the film begins). Awaiting Judgment Day, the Ranch community believes Alton is the key to their redemption.The sermon is swiftly interrupted by an FBI raid, introducing the federal agents who view the boy as a serious, but unexplained threat to national security. In a wryly humorous deposition scene, Calvin (Sam Shepard) smirks and says: “You really have no idea what you’re dealing with, do you?” to the FBI agent and NSA officer Paul Sevier (Adam Driver) who spend the first half of the film grasping at straws. In a clear reference to topical cyber security threats – Paul Sevier pours over data, deducing that the boy is capable of decoding encrypted transmissions and knocking satellites out of orbit. It’s heady stuff for actor Adam Driver, who isn’t at all believable as an NSA officer, but his gawky goofball presence brings much-needed comic relief to the film’s constant tension.As the chase scenes continue, Alton’s fate becomes dire as we watch him repeatedly experience violent seizures — during which a blinding white light beams from his eyes. The more this happens, the sicker he gets. Thus his father Roy, a supportive State Trooper (Joel Edgerton) and Alton's mother Sarah (Kirsten Dunst), risk their lives to drive the boy cross-country for reasons only Alton understands. It is established that Sarah and Roy are escapees from the Ranch, and are hell-bent on Alton escaping, too.In essence, “Midnight Special” is Nichols’ exploration of the powerlessness of fatherhood on two levels: one emotional, one intellectual. Roy Tomlin’s love for his son is exposed in a world controlled by conservative religious sects and aggressive government agencies – the antagonists acting to destroy the fabric of his family.Click here to view the film’s trailer.
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